The Ancient Submariner - A Day in the Life  1957 - 1970

Derek Powell

THE BOARDING PARTY

Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST), based at Portland in Dorset, is the Navy's organisation to train
up new and recommissioned ships and crews.  This ensures the crews both know their ships and are moulded into a single fighting unit.  In order to achieve this, the ships' crews are tasked with many exercises, ranging from shoreside disasters to fire at sea.  When their work-up is complete, the ships' companies are inspected by Warrant and Chief Petty Officer Instructors (Sea Riders), who mark them on the competence of each Department.  If they pass, the ships join the Fleet as fully operational.  If not, they do it all over again!

The task today for HMS Plymouth, an anti-submarine frigate, is to board and capture a slightly damaged submarine , which the ship has located, depth charged, and forced to surface using its anti-submarine equipment and expertise.

On board the submarine we are dived at periscope depth; the Captain addresses the crew over the intercom:

'Captain speaking; as you all know, today we are working with HMS Plymouth for their anti-submarine exercise and for the day we are the bad guys.  Plymouth has located us, attacked us, depth charged us and forced us to surface.  Their brief is to board us and take us prisoners of war.  However, we will not give up easily.  I'm sure we can surprise them somewhat!  When the boarding party are on board there will be no violence, we will offer passive resistance only.  On surfacing we will go to red lighting (Control Room is plunged into darkness save for two red lights to allow night vision through the periscope), this will disorientate them to start with.  It is is most likely that none of the boarding party has ever set foot on a submarine, so it is up to every one of you to make sure they don't do anything silly.  The steward will position himself in my cabin (The Captain's cabin is a boiler shaped compartment welded to the conning tower between the upper and lower hatch; it contains a bunk, a small desk and a tiny hand basin.  It is never used at sea and the reason the steward is hiding there will become clear later).  Finally, remember passive resistance only, that is all.'

The Captain then orders diving stations, 'Stand-by to surface, up periscope.'  He sweeps the periscope all round and lines up on HMS Plymouth.  'Plymouth bears 270, range 1000 yards.  Surface.  Switch to red lighting.'  The boat is now on the surface, the upper hatch open.  'Stop together.'  We are now hove to, 1000 yards from and parallel to HMS Plymouth's starboard side.  'Now we wait' , says the Captain.

ONE HOUR EARLIER

In HMS Plymouth's Operations Room the Gunnery Officer is briefing the boarding party consisting of a Sub Lt in charge, a seaman Petty Officer, a Petty Officer Engine Room Artificer, a Leading Electrician's mate and two Able Seamen.

'You will be issued with side arms and a length of chain.  Now this chain is very important because when you get onto the bridge of the submarine, you will clamp one end to a bridge structure and toss the other end down the conning tower, thereby preventing the upper hatch from shutting, so that the submarine cannot dive.  So simple - so effective!  You will then proceed down the conning tower at full speed and once you are all in the control room the Sub Lt will detail your party to their designated stations.  The PO ERA will go to the Engine Room, the LEM to the Motor Room, and they will secure these compartments.  The Sub Lt and PO Jones will secure the Control Room identify the Commanding Officer and order him to bring the submarine alongside, starboard side to.  We will then disembark the crew, rig towlines and tow our prize back to Portland, simple!  If you meet any stiff resistance you will, for exercise, shoot them!  Now muster at the after gangway with your gear and the best of luck.'

On the bridge of HMS Plymouth the starboard bridge look out shouts, 'Submarine surfacing starboard, range 1000 yards, Sir.'

'Boarding Party muster by the after gangway, away Boarding Party' is piped over the intercom.  The Boarding Party leave HMS Plymouth and set out in an inflatable boat with a fast outboard motor headed for the submarine; their ETA is seven minutes.

'Up periscope,' says the Captain, lining up on the approaching Gemini.  'Here they come, Steward to my cabin, you know what to do, everybody else, stand-by.'

The Gemini comes alongside, the boarding party scramble up onto the forward casing and up the port side of the fin onto the bridge.  The Gemini driver lays off twenty yards and waits.  'Right lads, here we go,' says the Sub Lt.  He directs one of the ABs to secure one end of the chain to the bridge superstructure and throw the other end into the tower.  'Phase one Complete.'

He then peers over the edge of the tower into the hot, stinking, red-tinged blackness below and anxiously begins the climb down the narrow conning tower ladder into the Control Room.  The Sub Lt shines his torch around the ashen grey faces of the Control Room crew; he draws his pistol and shouts for the Commanding Officer to identify himself.  'All other personnel get over by the chart table now.'  He instructs his men to proceed to their pre-designated stations.  'ERA Green to the Engine Room, LEM Black to the Motor Room, if any of the crew give you trouble, for exercise, shoot them!'

While all this is going on, the Steward creeps out of the Captain's cabin, climbs stealthily up the tower and quietly hoists the chain out and up onto the Bridge.  He then returns the way he has come, closing the upper hatch silently after him and returns to the cabin where he gives two clicks on the Captain's microphone switch, alerting him that the job is done.  The Captain, now knowing that the upper hatch is shut, orders white lighting on and red lighting off so the Control Room is suddenly flooded with light; he then identifies himself as the Commanding Officer.  The Sub Lt then says, 'I am Sub Lt Smith of Her Majesty's Ship Plymouth, and I am ordered to take you and your crew prisoner and order you to proceed alongside Plymouth, where you and your crew will be be transferred as POWs.'

'I don't think so, Subby,' says the Captain.  'Ship's head?'  He asks.  '270˚, Sir.'
'Open main vents, starboard 20, steer 355, half ahead group up.'
This puts the submarine at 90˚ to Plymouth's starboard side.  The Control Room ratings leap into action and the noise of rushing air and flooding water are deafening as the boat starts to sink.
'Periscope depth', commands the Captain.

'OMG' says the Sub Lt.
'Relieve the Boarding Party of their weapons, escort the Sub Lt to the Wardroom and the rest of them forward' says the Captain.  'Coxswain, issue them with a tot of rum'.

On the Bridge of HMS Plymouth, the lookout shouts, 'Submarine diving, Sir'.  'Oh sh**', mutters the OOW.  'Captain, Sir, the submarine has dived.'

In the Control Room of the submarine, the Captain has HMS Plymouth in visual through the periscope.

'Target bears 180˚, range?', he shouts.
'1500 yards, Sir', comes the reply.  'Flood up the stern tubes 5 & 6; stand-by after tubes; open stern tube outer doors.  Now they will feel the sting in our tail.  For exercise, fire 5, fire 6'……..

Author's Note

On completion of the exercise a signal was received from the office of Flag Officer Sea Training, ordering the Captain of the submarine to report to the Operations Office in No. 1 dress uniform, with sword.  He was required to explain why he had deviated from the laid down serials of the exercise.   As the experienced Commander of a submarine, he reasoned that it was futile to send a boarding party comprising a junior officer and young, inexperienced junior and senior ratings to capture a seasoned submarine crew.  The outcome, as he demonstrated, could have been the total loss of an anti-submarine frigate.